Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-10-26

Michael Angelo presenting the plan of st
Peter Of Rome to Pope Julius. There
t another room containing large number o
costly snuff boxes owned by one Of tn,
e kings of France, and also some costly
I saddles presented by the authorities Of
S Egypt to Napoleon /. In an anothe
} room Is shown the Bible Of Cs.herip,
Medici, the helmet Of her son Charlas TX
3 and the sword of Charlemagne. The
main picture gallery Is $50 feet long an6
5 the pictures of the Louvre If strung out iI
l line would reach seven miles, so say,
8 Cooper, the best guide In Paris. Rubens
} resided for while IL Paris and this gal
lery contains twenty one pictures executed
by him. OF course In SO large collection
there are many works OF the old masters
: priced beyond computation. This Is 6
: good place to return to when one
has leisure "a dozen visits will
not satisfy the, taste Of real
lovers of art There Is one painting here
!. by the Spanish master Murillo-"The In
maculate Conception" which the Emperor
Il of Russia coveted for his collection, and
offered fabulous sum for 1t, but the offer
was declined with thanks In room con-
tanning statuary is the celebrated Venus
de Milo" excavated on the island of Milo
in 1921. II was purchased for twelve hun,
dred dollars, but Is so highly priced that an
offer of two hundred thousand dollars has
been refused for It, There Is also colos-
sal statue of Melpomene which is the very
perfection of artistic skill.
| The Palace Of Luxembourg was erected
In 1916 by order Of Marie de Medicis. At
ter the first revolution in 1893 1t was trans
formed into prison. At the present time
| IL Is utilized for three fold purpose, viz:
| the residence Of the chief Of police, the
assembly hall for the senate, and the gal
lery for modern painting and other works
Of art. Aside from the glamor. that at
taches to the work Of the old masters, the
production Of modern artists which hang
In the gallery, are far more seductive and
pleasing to the eye. And the same may be
said Of the exquisite pieces Of sculpture
that fills one entire large hall IN this gal
lery. In ancient sculpture 1t Is e
rare thing 10 find even In
the most cherished objects that have sur
vived the effects of the despoilers hand,
that which excites to more than mere
admiration.
With only one or two exceptions, the
priceless relics of antiquarian art sculptor
have conveyed no Illusions or excited the
enthusiasm on their merits alone. which
the devotees of fculture claim for them.
Doubtless the fault lies with me in lacking
the necessary qualifications to form a just
conception of the superiority over the
modern school Of art. It may be claimed
that one Is the mere reflex Of the other,
but TO do that would be to stulufy ourselves
In the belief that modern artists were
lacking in originality of design; that the
workmanship is deficient in tone and fur
nish no one who compares the two will
care TO admit. I have saen statues of
modern date possessing the very pose and
expression of the human form divine,
so realistic, as by Slight stretch Of the
imagination, one could almost fancy they
were moulded of animate clay by the
master hand of the Omnipotent.
The Luxembourg serves as the nursery to
the Louvre gallery as the most meritorious
paintings are removed from time to time to
the latter, their places being occupied by
later productions. Art Is encouraged fully
as much In Paris as In Rome,
The palace of Versailles is about fifteen |
miles from Paris, but so easy Of access as
to be almost considered one of its chief |
attractions. We drove out, halting briefly |
st the ruins of the palace Of st. Cloud, |
built in 1868 by Louis XIV, and destroyed |
by fire in the bombarGment In 1870 1t |
was the favorite resort of Napoleon and |
likewise Of Napoleon III After the battle |
Of Waterloo Butcher made his headquar- |
tiers here In 1915, and it was here that the |
terms of thee equalization Of Paris were |
signed but short time before its destTuc- |
ton The palace of Versailles was built |
by Louis XIV at cost Of two hundred
millions Of dollars II stands on al eleva- |
ton approached through a picketed encl0s |
ure In the center OF which stands an eques
TRAN bronze statue Of the founder. 1t was
at the base Of this statue that the generals
Of the Prussian army declared King VIII
liam emperor of all Germany.
Looking towards the palace from
this point eau be seen the balcony
where Marie Theresa in answer
to the cries Of the mob made her appear
auce with the Dauphin In her arms. But
the mob was not appeased and broke down
the doors of the pasce. Under the protec
ton Of Lafayette she and the king were
conducted to the palace Of the Tulleries,
where the mob again forced en- entrance.
overpowerlng and killing the Swiss guards,
eight hundred of whom forfeited their
lives. The stone lion Of Luce.pe COM
memorates this event The promised pro-
lection of Lafayette, who was revolution
ist BY nature, proved abortive, for both the
king and queen were led forth to the
guillotine.
The square or court yard alluded to con- |
tains several statues, amongst which are
those of Baysrd, Colbert and Massena. In
the reign of Louis PHILIPPE the palace was |
converted into museum, and what q |
grand one 1t IS The inscription "To all |
the glories of France" does not belle 1t. |
It's halls are crowded with the portraits of
the generals, admirsls and sovereigns of
France and hundreds of battle scenes,
forming brilliant and intensely interest
ing panorama In hall 396 feet long and |
SO feet wide are hung thirty three battle |
scenes. In another hall Is the famous
painting by David, THE Coronation
of Napoleon 1st. But the most absorbing
work OF the painer's skill to my eye was
portrayed on an insmense canvass, The
last DAYS Of the Reign Of Terror" | have
forgotten The name of the artist but the
picture left an impression on my mind
which will remain there. We were shown
the various state spartments-one chamber
where three Queens of France have lodged,
and an apartment furnished expressly for
Queen Victoria on her visit to France, but
which believe she did not occupy. OF
course these apartments, including those
occupied by Louis XIV, are all furnished
and decorated in q style of msgnificence
unsurpassed.
A visit 10 Versailles would not be COM
plete without an inspection OF the beautf-
full gardens, and the state carriages, some
six or eight In number, which now that
ROYALTY Is vanished from France, are no